Help America Vote College Program Poll Worker Grant Program | EAC 23 001

Opportunity Information: Apply for EAC 23 001

The Help America Vote College Program (HAVCP) Poll Worker Grant Program is a discretionary grant opportunity offered by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) under Funding Opportunity Number EAC 23 001 (CFDA 90.400). The program is designed to support efforts that strengthen election administration by recruiting, training, and deploying poll workers, with a strong emphasis on building durable, community-rooted partnerships that can keep the work going after the grant period ends. Applicants are expected to closely follow the official application requirements and guidance posted on Grants.gov, along with the supporting materials provided by EAC at eac.gov/grants/havcp.

A central theme of the opportunity is collaboration, particularly between election offices and education- and community-based partners. EAC specifically encourages applicants to build robust partnerships as part of their project design, both to improve implementation and to increase the likelihood that successful activities can be sustained beyond the grant. Recommended partners prominently include institutions of higher education as defined by Section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001), along with nonprofit organizations, community and technical colleges and systems, and a range of Minority Serving Institutions. The notice highlights Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), and other MSIs designated under the Higher Education Act Title III and Title V funding programs. State and local election offices are also explicitly named as key partners, reflecting the program's practical focus on supporting real-world election staffing needs.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of entities that could reasonably lead or support poll worker recruitment and training initiatives. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status and nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases, other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other applicants as allowed under the opportunity. At the same time, there is a clear restriction: any organization described in Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code that engages in lobbying activities is not eligible to apply, which is an important disqualifier for certain advocacy-oriented entities even if their work touches elections.

In terms of funding scale and competitiveness, the opportunity lists an award ceiling of $100,000 and an expectation of approximately 10 awards. The original application deadline was December 18, 2023, and the opportunity record shows a creation date of November 16, 2023. Applicants should rely on the official postings for the most current status, required forms, and submission instructions, since federal opportunities sometimes get amended, clarified, or extended through formal notices.

Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at improving the capacity and resilience of the poll worker pipeline by leveraging colleges, universities, and community partners alongside election administrators. The EAC is signaling that strong applications will not be limited to a short-term staffing fix, but will instead lay out a partnership-based approach that can be maintained over time, particularly through collaboration with higher education institutions and Minority Serving Institutions that can help reach, recruit, and prepare new poll workers year after year.

• The Election Assistance Commission in the other sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Help America Vote College Program Poll Worker Grant Program" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 90.400.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2023-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-12-18. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 10 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for EAC 23 001

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